Theory and Method in History of Art
Objectives
1. To understand the foundations and the development of Art History as a discipline;
2. To acquire a thorough knowledge on Art History’s core theoretical and methodological approaches;
3. To understand the main debates that these approaches have been raising;
4. To grasp the relation between those core theoretical and methodological approaches and specific developments in art history writing (both national and internationally);
5. To ponder course contents over a written essay.
General characterization
Code
711061055
Credits
6.0
Responsible teacher
Mariana de Lemos Pinto dos Santos
Hours
Weekly - 4
Total - 168
Teaching language
Portuguese
Prerequisites
None.
Bibliography
GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY / COLLECTIVE BOOKS AND COLLECTIONS (THE SPECIFIC BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR)
BOZAL, Valeriano (ed.). 1996. Historia de las ideas estéticas y de las teorias artísticas contemporáneas, Madrid: La balsa de la medusa-Visor, 2 vols
DOSSIN, Catherine; JOYEUX-PRUNEL Béatrice (eds.). Circulations in the Global History of Art, Ashgate, 2015
FRASCINA, Francis; HARRIS, Jonathan (ed.). 1992. Art in Modern Culture. An anthology of critical texts, The Open University, London: Phaidon
FERNIE, Eric (ed.), 1995. Art History and its methods, London: Phaidon
FOSTER, Hal (ed.), 1983. The Anti-Aesthetic Essays on Postmodern Culture, Seattle: Bay Press
HARRISSON, Charles and WOOD, Paul, GAIGER, Jason (ed.), 2000. Art in Theory 1648-1815, Oxford: Blackwell
HARRISON, Charles, WOOD, Paul, GAIGER, Jason (ed.), 2003. Art in Theory 1815-1900, Oxford: Blackwell
HARRISSON, Charles and WOOD, Paul (ed.), 2002. Art in Theory 1900-2000, Oxford: Blackwell
HAYOT, Eric, WALKOWITZ, Rebecca, L., A New Vocabulary for Global Modernism, New York: Columbia University Press, 2016
MACEDO, Ana Gabriela (org.), 2002. Género, Identidade e Desejo. Antologia Crítica do Feminismo Contemporâneo, Cotovia
NELSON, Robert and SHIFF, Richard (ed.). 1996. Critical Terms for Art History, University of Chicago Press
PREZIOSI, Donald (ed.), The Art of Art History: A Critical Anthology. Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press, 1998
RAMPLEY, Matthew et al (eds.) Art History and Visual Studies in Europe: Transnational Discourses and National Frameworks, Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2012
SANCHES, Manuela Ribeiro (org.). 2012. Malhas que os Impérios Tecem. Textos anticoloniais, contextos pós-coloniais, Edições 70
SMITH, Paul, and WILDE, Caroline. 2002. A Companion to Art Theory, Oxford: Blackwell
ZIMMERMAN, Michael F. (ed.). 2003. The Art Historian. National traditions and institutional practices. Massachusetts: Clark Art Institute/Yale University Press
Teaching method
The teaching method consists of 3 hours a week of lectures and 1 hour a week of discussion of texts previously prepared by the students. The texts will be made available in due course by the teacher.
Evaluation method
1. Participation in the discussion of texts in class (there will be a registration system; students must participate in a minimum of two discussions during the semester) - 25%.
2. Written test with consultation* - 40%
3. Work analysing one of the works suggested by the teacher according to one (or two) of the methodologies given in class (4/5 pages, not including cover and bibliography, Times or similar, 12 point font, 1.5 line spacing) - 35%.
*IMPORTANT NOTE: The written test and exam are based on consultation of written or printed materials: notes, books, photocopied articles, etc. The use of a computer, tablet or mobile phone will not be permitted.
Subject matter
1. The disciplinary genesis of Art History (Vasari, Winckelmann and Hegel). Art history and the construction of a scientific discourse.
2. First theoretical and methodological specifications in the approach to artistic production: a) from Burckhardt's cultural history to the formalism of the Vienna School; b) the Warburgian roots of Bildwissenschaft and Panofsky's Iconology; c) Marxist aesthetics and the social history of art; d) the psychology of art.
3. Art and society: critical theory, sociology of art.
4. Structuralism and developments in semiotics. Some aspects of reception theory. Post-structuralism and deconstruction.
5. The post-colonial approach: critique of Eurocentric knowledge.
6. From the idea of a disciplinary crisis to new theoretical-methodological approaches: feminist criticism (Pollock, Nochlin, etc.) and the new history of art (T.J. Clark); postmodernism, the historiography of R. Krauss and the October project; the emergence of Visual Studies.
7. Transnational art history, horizontal art history and global art history.